Onion
by rh-fntc
Summary: How could one innocuous vegetable cause so much trouble?


**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**AN: **Hi! This is my very first foray into the world of Merlin, specifically the Arwen ship. I typically write for Smallville, but I was coerced into writing this one-shot by my sister, who absolutely adores Merlin. Not that I don't have any affection for the show. I like it well enough, in fact I thoroughly enjoyed writing this piece. So if I made any grievious mistakes, I apologize upfront. This one takes place after "_The Gates Of Avalon."_ Now, on with the story...

Onion

She knew she had been staring. But being who she was, she remained the very soul of discretion whenever she did. She would look at him when she knew he was preoccupied with something else.

And when she did stare, she tried very hard to reconcile the person she had been hearing about as of late to the person he used to be, a man who had no qualms about using human beings as target practice.

Ordinarily, she was not the type who would be gullible enough to believe that he had changed, from that big bully to someone who truly cared about others. She had seen him many a time doing such despicable things that she applauded anyone who stood up to him. In fact, one of her most treasured friendship blossomed under such a circumstance. But the truth was she had witnessed firsthand what he would do for someone he cared about, even a mere servant.

Her opinion of him rose through such great heights when he took it upon himself to find the cure for what was ailing his manservant. She had been quiet anxious about Merlin's condition, yet she felt a vast amount of respect for his savior.

What she heard recently gave yet another dimension to his character. It was not everyday that a prince would willingly deny himself the crown in the name of love. And Gwen could not help but be overcome with the romanticism of it all. Prince Arthur, according to Lady Morgana, tried to elope with the beautiful guest of Camelot.

The Lady Sophia was a sight to behold. She knew that her mistress had some misgivings about the lady and she fully supported her in her attempts to ensure the safety of the future king. And yet in the deepest recesses of her heart, she was taken away by the mere thought of an elopement.

There was something thoroughly romantic about the idea that a prince, such as Prince Arthur, would be willing to defy all odds for his lady love. She wondered at his ability to love so intensely.

She sighed deeply. As the prince of Camelot, he would have to marry someone of noble blood. She knew that there were speculations that Lady Morgana would eventually ascend into the role. But she knew quite well that Morgana detested the idea. There were times when she could barely tolerate the prince.

As she watched him beat yet another knight to the ground she hoped that he would be able to find a perfect match for him. Despite the façade that he presented to the rest of the world, Prince Arthur was a noble man, not simply because he was born of noble blood. But because despite his upbringing, despite having a father who had such a profound hatred in his heart for all things magic, Prince Arthur could still fall in love with someone, so deeply that he was prepared to damn everything.

"He has got some layers." She murmured to herself.

"Huh?" Merlin looked at her in confusion. "Something on your mind, Gwen?"

Gwen felt herself blush at being caught talking to herself, in front of Merlin no less. "Nothing." She said quietly.

Merlin nudged her shoulders with his and smiled at her good-naturedly. "If you say so." He uttered in a teasing tone before he went back to mentally going over the spells he just learned the night before.

She felt overly hot all of a sudden. Gwen focused her attention on the fighting, in an attempt to avoid Merlin's gaze. "Well, maybe not nothing. I was just saying that Prince Arthur has some layers. You know, like an onion." She said brightly.

Merlin nodded absent-mindedly in agreement.

"Onions have layers. He's just like them in that respect." Gwen added as she watched the prince battle yet another knight. "If you peel an onion, well there are layers upon layers. And whenever I do peel them the odor just makes me cry. The smell just gets me every time." She shook her heard in remembrance of the instances that she was in tears because of onions.

It took a beat before she realized the words she uttered. "Not that I think that the prince smells like an onion. Not at all. He smells perfectly fine, not that I go around trying to smell him, I don't do that, not at all. It's the onions that smell. Not the prince. I was just comparing him to the onions, because onions have layers and so does he." She blurted out the words artlessly.

Merlin stopped his mental breakdown of the spells and looked at her with his brows furrowed. "Gwen? Are you alright?" He looked at her with such concern; she was turning red in her effort to speak.

Gwen looked at Merlin and then back at the field. What she saw sent her to panic. Prince Arthur was advancing towards them. She looked back at Merlin and made the decision that it was time to make a hasty retreat. The prince was not looking particularly cordial.

"I have to go, Merlin. I'll see you later." She waved at her friend and walked away as fast as her feet could take her.

* * *

Arthur had been feeling a prickle of unease the last few days.

He knew someone had been watching his every move. He was accustomed to being watched, he was after all the Prince of Camelot. It was normal for the citizenry to watch his every move. But there was something different this time.

He first caught her staring at him from afar. He was sitting next to the king, as he held court. Morgana was sitting on the other side of Uther, so it was perfectly natural for her to be there as well.

He could have sworn that she was not paying any heed to what was happening in the great hall. And yet he never truly caught her staring at him. Every time he tried to catch her eye, well he never succeeded because she always managed to avert her gaze. But he could not shake the feeling that she was studying him, so thoroughly that it made him uncomfortable.

There was no reason he should feel any discomfort. He was the prince, future king of Camelot. And yet there was something about the way she looked at him. It made him feel less secure and at the same time humbled by her attentions.

Arthur chastised himself when the knight he was fighting managed to land an attack on his armored chest. He shouldn't be so preoccupied with the interest of a handmaiden.

Her clear awareness of him had transformed into his awareness of her. Because she seemed incredibly capable of being discrete with the intense looks that she had been sending his way, he in turn seemed to develop his own means of knowing when she employed them.

Like right now. He could tell when she was staring at him and when she was talking to Merlin. He momentarily let his attention drift to them and he saw her flush prettily. He wondered what Merlin said to her to get such a reaction. His manservant was smiling that idiotic smile of his and it was clear that she was flustered by it.

He focused back on the man fighting him. He hit the man's shoulder and the man tumbled to the ground. His brows furrowed, did he apply too much force? He watched as the other knights picked the man up. He shook his head in disappointment. His mind was already not entirely on the fight and he still managed to win.

The glare he sent the men was a little mutinous. The knights have to learn to be better a battle. He sighed heavily as he made his way to Guinevere and Merlin.

He could see Gwen talking to Merlin with an earnest expression on her face. And Merlin, the bloke was not paying any attention. He smirked at the obvious distraction on Merlin's face; it was not unusual for the boy to have his head in the clouds. He focused his attention back to Gwen; she was turning a deep shade of red as she continued to speak. He frowned slightly as he wondered what subject could prompt her to do so.

Just as he was about to reach them, her eyes met his. And all he could see was blind panic. She gestured wildly before walking away from his servant. His frown deepened as he toyed with the notion that his approach caused her to leave.

"Merlin!" He shouted at the younger man, who was still busy staring after Gwen. He tossed his sword towards him and he smiled sardonically as Merlin tried to catch the weapon ineffectually.

His smile dropped as he turned to the direction that Guinevere had disappeared from. "Have you noticed something odd about Guinevere as of late?" He posed the question to Merlin with calm detachment.

"Odd?" Merlin looked at him curiously.

Arthur frowned at him. "Yes, odd. Doesn't she seem odder than usual?"

Merlin's eyes narrowed in concentration as he tried to recall what Gwen was telling him mere moments ago. "She said something about an onion." He could only vaguely remember what she was talking about.

"An onion?" Arthur looked at him, slightly disbelieving. There was no way that an onion could make the lady flush so deeply.

"I think she said someone smelled like an onion." His brows furrowed as he thought back on his conversation with her. "She mentioned you as well." Merlin blurted out unthinkingly.

"Me?" Arthur's disbelief vanished. So it had something to do with him, perhaps the reason why she was constantly staring at him. He scowled as his mind processed what Merlin had just said. "Guinevere thinks I smell like onions?" His temper flared at the idea.

Merlin snapped back to attention. He could see the telltale signs of Arthur losing his temper. "Gwen would never say such a thing." He found himself backtracking, if only he had listened to her more.

Arthur's brow rose at the contradiction. "You said it yourself. She said someone smelled like onions and I was the only one she mentioned by name." He folded his arms across his chest in aggravation. Not once in his life had he ever been told that he smelled like onions. He felt affronted that a mere handmaiden would deign to insult him.

His servant looked at him, seemingly amused at his reaction. "Pardon me sire, I'm sure Gwen did not mean you at all. I'm betting that she knows all royals emit the fragrance of nobility." Merlin's tone was clearly mocking as he bowed lowly.

He gave Merlin a measured look and then he slapped the boy on the back of his head before heading for the castle.

Arthur trudge through the halls of the castle as Merlin's words played over and over in his head. Gwen criticizing his personal hygiene, he was having a difficult time accepting it. He pushed open the doors to his room and slammed them shut with such force.

"Onion!" He sneered as he stood in front of the mirror. He began to disrobe and as he took off his armor, he failed to resist sniffing his tunic. He shook his head when what he smelled had no resemblance to the odor of onions at all.

He flung his clothes onto the bed and decided to prove the girl wrong. He marched to the window of his room and saw that Merlin was trudging towards the castle with his weapons.

"Merlin! See to my bath!" He bellowed through the window and walked away without waiting for a reply. "Onion, we'll see about that." He muttered with such determination.

* * *

Gwen was carefully balancing the food on the tray. The Lady Morgana requested to have her dinner in the privacy of her own room. She was worried that her mistress was not feeling well again.

She took a deep breath as she saw that her destination was close. It would not be long before she could go home for the night. She smiled at the thought and started humming.

Seemingly out of nowhere Prince Arthur appeared in front of her. He looked thoroughly refreshed; his hair was probably still wet from an afternoon bath.

Gwen curtsied automatically, while still maintaining her hold on her mistress' dinner.

"Guinevere." The prince nodded imperceptibly.

"Sire." She replied politely. Gwen looked at him and he seemed to be looking at her closely.

"I'm bringing Lady Morgana her dinner." She said the words as though she needed the excuse to be in the area of her mistress' chambers.

Again the prince nodded. He advanced towards her and Gwen could not help but take a step back. And the prince took yet another step forward. There was barely any distance between them and Gwen felt immensely uncomfortable.

Arthur lifted the cover of Morgana's meal. "Any onions in the food?" He asked her with a smirk.

Gwen's brows furrowed. "I don't believe so, sire." She answered haltingly.

"Are you certain?" Arthur asked again.

Gwen nodded emphatically. "Quite certain, milord."

"Quite fortunate then." Arthur declared loudly as he dropped the cover back on the tray. "Since you have such an aversion to them." He spared her a final look before walking away.

Gwen watched him and wondered what brought on such a reaction from the prince. Not seeing any connection she proceeded to her destination.

The End


End file.
